


Just Let Me Go

by PJO_Fangirl_13



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, a scene I'm hoping for in season four, kind of reminds me of that one scene from hsmtm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PJO_Fangirl_13/pseuds/PJO_Fangirl_13
Summary: "Why won't you just let me go!?" She yells at him, pure desperation as to why in her voice."Because I love you!" Mike shouted, though his eyes softened.Or, the one where El is about to run into a life threatening situation (again) and Mike doesn't want to lose her
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, mileven - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Just Let Me Go

"I have to do it," El said, and without further ado, turned around and walked toward the source of danger. The wind whipped around her, ruffling her tangled brown curls. All around them, screeches of monsters and sirens sounded in the distance, along with human shouts. 

Halfway there, someone grabbed her arm. "El." 

Closing her eyes, she slowly turned around, and opened them, staring up into the dark pools of brown she'd fallen in love with over the few years they'd been together. His eyes were filled with worry as they searched her face, and her fragile hurt broke as the reality of the moment sunk in, twisting around her veins, and hardening around her heart like cement. "Mike, no," she said quietly, "I'm the only one who can do this. Who can stop this." 

Mike shook his head. "We can all help you. We can go with you," he said, and sounds like a little kid begging his mother to buy him a new leggo set, not trying to persuade his stubborn girlfriend into allowing him and their friends to follow her into a freaking suicide mission. "Let us help, please." 

"And put you all in danger? No." She started to turn around, trying to wrench her wrist out of his grasp, but he just tightened his grip, but was still sure not to hurt her. Spinning back around with an eye roll, she exclaimed exasperatedly, "What, Mike?" 

"You can't just go out there alone!" His voice rose a few octaves and her gaze hardened. She really just needed to get this done, to end this so they can all just go lead normal lives, and he was holding her up. The more time wasted, the less time she has. He gestured to their friends who were standing a few yards behind them, watching with curious eyes. "You have all these people who are more than willing to fight along side you and you're pushing them away!" 

This time, El grew angry. Angry that he's accusing her of something that was entirely untrue, assuming she doesn't want their help. Of course she wants all the help she can get! Of course she doesn't want to do this alone! But she had to. There was no other way. She'd promised herself that Mike and their friends would get out alive, even if that meant she'd quite possibly have to be left behind. Bringing them into this mess, just so they could "protect" her, was like asking for a death wish. This was no doubt a suicide mission, as Mike had previously mentioned to her. 

"I'm keeping you and everyone else safe!" She shouted, the anger spilling out of her like an over flowing pot of boiling water. "I can't risk losing anyone else on my part!" 

That caught Mike off guard, and he blinked a couple times, the words still processing in his brain, and when the realization dawns on him, he just stares at her. They both stare at each other for a few moments, gazes fixed in glares. He finally breaks the silence, "I can't just let you walk in there alone! Not when there's a possibility you won't come back." 

"Which is exactly why you can't come!" 

"Let me come with you!" He shouted at the same time. 

She wasn't ready for that one and it took a few minutes to fully process. The petrifying realization that dropped down on her like a brick was so overwhelming she had a hard time catching her breath. He had just, practically, admitted that he was willing to die for her, that he'd do anything just to be with her, even if they both died in the process. But, as much as she wanted to give in, she couldn't let that happen. "Absolutely not! Out of anyone, I can't lose you!" 

"Well, I can't lose you either!" He practically screams, so much emotion in his words that she's taken aback and has to swallow down her own to stay strong. This wasn't a time to break down, this wasn't a time to be vulnerable. 

"Stop being so possessive for once!" 

She knew he wasn't possessive, just worried and concerned, and it warmed her heart to the point she thought it would burst, but considering the situation right now, she couldn't let him know this. This argument needed to end so she could go and save the world... again. But Mike was not giving up anytime soon. 

"I'm not!" 

"Yes, you are! Just let me go!" 

"No! It's a death wish out there! We can figure another way!" 

"There is no other way!" 

"There has to be!" 

"There's not, Mike. The plan was-" 

"And I can't let you do that." 

"Mike-"

"No!" 

El let out a small shout of frustration and lifted the arm that wasn't being held captive by Mike's skinny hand and ran her own hand through her curls; a habit she had picked up from girls at her school back in the cities. She stomped her foot against the pavement out of anger, a small force pushing around them, yet not strong enough to hurt anyone. "Why won't you just let me go!?" She yells at him, pure desperation as to why in her voice. 

"Because I love you!" Mike shouted, though his eyes softened. 

Taken aback by his words, El just stared up at his (beautiful) face, taking him all in, his eyes, cheekbones with freckles splattered across his pale skin, his full lips, shark jaw bone. It was finally hitting her that this could be the last time she would ever see him, and all she wanted to do was kiss him senseless for a few minutes, but she couldn't. There were more serious matters to attend to. 

"I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you in the rain," Mike admitted, a light blush spreading across his cheeks and she bit down a smile of her own. "Even though I had no idea if you were alive or... gone, I loved you throughout those 365 days, and beyond that. I loved you during those lucky six months we had before everything went downhill again, and even if I was a jerk I loved you. I-" 

"Mike." 

"And I hit myself everyday for not saying it to you sooner. I should have just spit it out in the grocery store last summer, or at east not have blurted it out to everyone then keep it from you as though I didn't feel that way anymore," Mike said, "because, hell, I'm so in love with you, it never went away, even if you had thought it did. I'm just too chicken to admit things like that and then I overthink, and I felt as though you were moving on because of the distance. Things have just been so complicated and I didn't know how to tell you, or when the time was right, but I love you. I really love you." 

"Mike-" 

"And some people may say it's puppy love, or that we're just in the honeymoon phase, or that we belong with other people, and that we're just high school crushes, but I know how I feel about you, El," he said, the blush never leaving his face. "And what I feel... it's a stronger feeling than I've ever felt in my entire life. You make me happy, so happy, happier than anyone had ever made me, and I- I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again. I don't want to find out what my life would be like without you. I love you. I love you." 

El surged forward and kissed him. 

He melted right into her, arms encircling her waist as hers went around his neck, the kiss deepening as she tilted her head upward. A couple seconds, minutes, house, who knows how long had passed when they pulled away, resting their foreheads together, chocolate brown meeting caramel brown. 

"I love you," he said again, just because he could now.

"And I love you," El replied in a whisper. 

Sighing in relief, Mike pulled away completely, only grabbing onto her hand as he started to pull her in the opposite direction of the anger, where she needed to go, and said, "Now, let's go figure out another plan. A better, safer plan." 

Heart clenching at what she was about to do, El pushed all her emotions deep down, blocked out all the voices telling her to go the safe route, but she knew how all this worked. Sometimes, the easy path, wasn't always the right path. She planted her feet against the blacktop they stood on top of, and Mike turned around slowly, more confusion etched onto his features. "I'm so, so sorry Mike," she whispered as she slipped her hand out of his, turned around, and ran in the other direction, towards the burning buildings and monster screeches. She knew their friends were holding him back because he hadn't came running yet. 

"Eleven! No!" 

She squeezed her eyes shut as his voice trickled into her ears, echoing throughout her brain, never letting her forget the pain she's currently putting him through. A single tears escaped her closed eyelid and trailed down her cheek, dropping against her collar bone. She continued to run, trying to block out the anguished voice of the boy she so desperately loved. 

And she only hoped that she'd be able to continue to do so. 


End file.
